Advances in a variety of fields have created a demand for many types of new materials. In particular, inorganic powders can be used in the production of a range of commercial products including, for example, electronic devices, optical devices and electro-optical devices. Similarly, technological advances have increased the demand for improved material processing with strict tolerances on processing parameters to improve performance of devices while keeping down costs.
As miniaturization continues, material processing similarly falls within stricter tolerances with respect to the dimensions of the structures. Current integrated circuit technology already requires tolerances on processing dimensions on a submicron scale. The consolidation of mechanical, electrical and optical devices into integral components has created further demands on material processing with respect to the different compositions incorporated into a single structure.
Composite materials can be used to combine desirable properties of different individual composition incorporated into the composite as well as to generate new properties that are not achievable from the individual compositions. Thus, a wider range of material properties can be exploited through composites. Alternatively, composite materials can be formed to capture improved or more flexible processing capabilities associated with one material of the composite while capturing some aspect of desirable properties of another component of the composite.